Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- Date 26 February 2019
- Sector Central government
- Decision(s) FOI 17: Upheld, FOI 21: Upheld, FOI 27: Not upheld, FOI 35: Not upheld
The complainant submitted a request to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) seeking information involving the UK Mission to the UN in New York about Cameroon and Yemen. The FCO disclosed some information to the complainant but sought to withhold further information on the basis of sections 27(1)(a) and (b) (international relations), 35(1)(a) (formulation and development of government policy) and 21 (information reasonably accessible by other means). The Commissioner has concluded that sections 27 and 35 have been correctly applied by the FCO and that the public interest favours maintaining each exemption. However, the Commissioner has concluded that section 21 does not apply and furthermore that the FCO breached section 17(3) of FOIA by failing to conclude its public interest considerations within a reasonable timeframe.